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April Pitchers Report
March 31, 2017

Major League Baseball trades places with March Madness as the sports flavor of the month in April. As we usher in America's favorite pastime, let's open the season with one of our favorite handicapping angles – good month pitchers.

Listed below are hurlers that have enjoyed a two-to-one or better success ratio in team starts the last three seasons during the month of April. On the flip side, we've also listed pitchers that struggle in April team starts, winning 33% percent or less of their efforts.

To qualify pitchers must have made a minimum of 10 starts, with at least one start each April over the last three years.

Note: * designates a categorical repeat appearance by this pitcher, maintaining status quo from last season’s April list. In addition also designated are the best and/or worst site results – home (H) or away (A) – within each pitcher’s April results.

I'll be back next month with May's Good Month Pitchers. Until then, it’s time to play ball!

GOOD MONTH PITCHERS

Gray, Sonny - 10-5 (6-3 H)

Is Sonny Gray still ace? After an injury-plagued 2016, which saw him give up career-highs in walks and home runs and register his lowest strikeouts per nine innings, this is important year for Oakland right-hander. If his command and velocity are normal, he could get off to a good start.

*Greinke, Zack - 12-4 (7-0 A)

Did Zack Greinke fall under the weight of big contract in Arizona or did playing for a bad team diminish his interest last season? We should find out right away and Greinke will never post typical career numbers playing at hitter-friendly Chase Field. With D-Backs brutal early schedule, they will need their ace to shine.

*Hammel, Jason - 9-4 (4-1 H)

Hammel moves over to Kansas City to fit into the Royals’ rotation. The right-hander has started strong the last few years but faded after All-Star break, and will likely do the same in the heat of humidity of K.C. However, to start the season he should be fine with his sinking fastball being beaten into the ground.

Keuchel, Dallas - 10-5 (4-2 A)

The Houston ace struggled at times last year, partly it seemed with increased expectations on himself and his team. If the Astros are to return to playoffs, Keuchel has to have better command like he did in 2015, and have movement low in the zone, lacking the big fastball.

Niese, Jon - 10-4 (5-2 A)

Recently released by New York Yankees. If picked up, will likely be a reliever.

Price, David - 10-5 (5-1 H)

Has not thrown since early March with tender elbow and those in Red Sox Nation are hoping for May return. Other rumors are Tommy John surgery is becoming a possibility.

Sale, Chris - 9-3 (5-1 H)

With Price gone for now, Sale becomes the top gun of the Boston staff. The big lefty has mid-90's heater that he can dial up to 98 MPH when needed, along with nasty curve and slider. There will be a lot more pressure pitching in Bean Town, but little reason to think Sale will not be up to the task.

Strasburg, Stephen - 10-5 (6-2 A)

For four months last season, Strasburg was fulfilling all possible expectations (finally) with a lively fastball, unhittable curve, and knee-buckling changeup. Once August arrived, it all disappeared as opposing batters were suddenly squaring up all his pitches as once again elbow and shoulder woes returned. For now, baseball bettors would be happy with typical April.

Tillman, Chris - 9-4 (6-2 H)

Tillman is battling shoulder problems and is expected to start the year on the DL. If he returns healthy, Tillman should resume where he left off last season where he added sinker that really drops late. Also, he moved to third-base side of pitching rubber, which gave better angles for cutter to really baffle RH hitters.

BAD MONTH PITCHERS

Buchholz, Clay - 3-12 (0-7 H)

Since his 12-1 2013 campaign, Buchholz has been a below average pitcher and was horrific for Boston in the first part of the season with an ERA of 6.35. After spending months in the bullpen and spot starting, the always inconsistent righty was a stud for the Red Sox in September. Buchholz was traded to Philadelphia and if he thought Boston fans were tough he will need ear plugs if he has a couple rough April starts in Philly.

Danks, John - 4-9 (1-5 A)

Danks got a tryout with Atlanta and was not very good and was cut. At 31, his velocity is well below average, his breaking pitches lack previous bite and at best is mop-up lefty reliever.

Dickey, R. A. - 5-10 (1-6 A)

Dickey has moved over to Atlanta and will start the season as part of their rotation. Trying to predict how a knuckleball will perform is strictly guess work, but safe to say at 42 his best days are behind him. Braves front office just need him to do well enough to bring people to new ballpark. Maybe changing leagues again will help. (Probably not)

Jimenez, Ubaldo - 4-9 (0-6 A)

We are as amazed as you are Jimenez remains in Baltimore's starting rotation. Owning baseball's most complicated delivery, the now 34-year old has always had talent and could strikeout six batters in two innings and give up three home runs in the very next inning. Wildly inconsistent, and hardly ever trustworthy for baseball bettors, is his mantra.

*Kluber, Corey - 3-13 (1-8 A)

The Indians ace would like nothing better to pick right up where he left off in the postseason, where he was magnificent on normal rest. When right, Kluber is one of the best in baseball, yet for some reason has gotten off to rough starts to the season. Will that finally change?

Leake, Mike - 5-10 (3-6 H)

Leake is a command-and-control pitcher who relies on at least good infield defense, which is something St. Louis lacked last season, and the right-hander suffered accordingly. Leake still is accountable for 4.69 ERA, compared to 3.99 for his career, and he has to hope ground balls find more fielders in 2017.

Shields, James - 5-10 (1-5 A)

Shields found out U.S. Cellular Field is not nearly as pitcher friendly as Petco Park and largely was hammered with the White Sox. With his changeup no longer having the same dipping action at 35 years old, compared to his Tampa Bay days, he could be in a long April and season on a rotten team.

Remember the 3 G's Gambling, Golf, Girls not in any particular order.....

— At some point, Phil Mickelson paid off a $2M gambling debt. I’d seriously be curious to see how that debt was accumulated; what games over what period of time? I’m a curious guy.

************************

Sunday’s List of 13: Wrapping up Final Four Saturday

13) Gonzaga 77, South Carolina 73— Were you not entertained? Not often a team goes on a 16-0 run and loses; Gamecocks fought their hearts out, but their bench was outscored 22-14 and Bulldogs advance to play for their first national title Monday night.

12) North Carolina 77, Oregon 76— Ducks shot under 30% from arc in four of their six losses this year; this 7-26 performance was their worst since November losses to Baylor/Georgetown. Oregon held UNC to 36.2% inside the arc, but couldn’t rebound two missed foul shots when it mattered most, and now their great season is over.

11) Charles Barkley predicted Gonzaga to win Monday night before the second game last night was over. I’m predicting the game will get excellent TV ratings.

10) Other than Kentucky/Duke, is recruiting one/done players a good idea? Here are some recent one/done’s and how their coaches made out:

9) Former VCU/Alabama coach Anthony Grant is the new coach at Dayton; he had been with the Oklahoma City Thunder as an assistant under Billy Donovan.

8) Quote of the Day, Part II: “Players, if anything, need a mental break sometimes. And sorry, they’re human. They go through so much every single day. There are so many obligations off the court that you don’t know about. … It might not be a physical break, it might just be a reset mentally, and I get that.”
Kevin Durant

This made me want to puke, seriously. The regular season is six months long, playoffs run another 6-7 weeks, for the really good teams. You mean to tell me you need a break from playing three games a week for six months a year, but not for physical reasons, but MENTAL ones?

Good God almighty.

7) The key word in all of that is “obligations”. I’d be curious to know what Durant considers his “obligations” to be, and what makes them so demanding that he needs to take games off.

6) Final Four drew 77,612 fans in the Cardinals’ domed stadium last night. They drew 39,380 in San Francisco for an A’s-Giants exhibition game Thursday night. Sports are popular.

5) If NCAA wanted to, they could have the entire March Madness in Las Vegas, with regional games in UNLV’s arena, Mandalay Bay, MGM Grand and T-Mobile Arena. The Final Four could be in the Raiders’ new domed stadium, when it gets built.

4) New Mexico fired basketball coach Craig Neal, which was kind of expected after his point guard son Cullen bolted the Lobos for Ole Miss after last season.

3) Grant Hill is throwing out the first ball at the Diamondbacks’ season opener today. There are three games on the baseball schedule. AmericA’S team (the A’s) open on Monday night.

2) One thing about sitting in a Las Vegas casino and I’ll have a lot more on this tomorrow; this is a very diverse set of bettors here in Las Vegas. You meet all kinds of people, you bond over sports and food and you realize that we’re a lot more alike that some people want to admit.

1— Early line for Monday night’s game: UNC -2, total of 154 (getting bet up as we speak).

Remember the 3 G's Gambling, Golf, Girls not in any particular order.....

— At some point, Phil Mickelson paid off a $2M gambling debt. I’d seriously be curious to see how that debt was accumulated; what games over what period of time? I’m a curious guy.

************************

Sunday’s List of 13: Wrapping up Final Four Saturday

13) Gonzaga 77, South Carolina 73— Were you not entertained? Not often a team goes on a 16-0 run and loses; Gamecocks fought their hearts out, but their bench was outscored 22-14 and Bulldogs advance to play for their first national title Monday night.

12) North Carolina 77, Oregon 76— Ducks shot under 30% from arc in four of their six losses this year; this 7-26 performance was their worst since November losses to Baylor/Georgetown. Oregon held UNC to 36.2% inside the arc, but couldn’t rebound two missed foul shots when it mattered most, and now their great season is over.

11) Charles Barkley predicted Gonzaga to win Monday night before the second game last night was over. I’m predicting the game will get excellent TV ratings.

10) Other than Kentucky/Duke, is recruiting one/done players a good idea? Here are some recent one/done’s and how their coaches made out:

9) Former VCU/Alabama coach Anthony Grant is the new coach at Dayton; he had been with the Oklahoma City Thunder as an assistant under Billy Donovan.

8) Quote of the Day, Part II: “Players, if anything, need a mental break sometimes. And sorry, they’re human. They go through so much every single day. There are so many obligations off the court that you don’t know about. … It might not be a physical break, it might just be a reset mentally, and I get that.”
Kevin Durant

This made me want to puke, seriously. The regular season is six months long, playoffs run another 6-7 weeks, for the really good teams. You mean to tell me you need a break from playing three games a week for six months a year, but not for physical reasons, but MENTAL ones?

Good God almighty.

7) The key word in all of that is “obligations”. I’d be curious to know what Durant considers his “obligations” to be, and what makes them so demanding that he needs to take games off.

6) Final Four drew 77,612 fans in the Cardinals’ domed stadium last night. They drew 39,380 in San Francisco for an A’s-Giants exhibition game Thursday night. Sports are popular.

5) If NCAA wanted to, they could have the entire March Madness in Las Vegas, with regional games in UNLV’s arena, Mandalay Bay, MGM Grand and T-Mobile Arena. The Final Four could be in the Raiders’ new domed stadium, when it gets built.

4) New Mexico fired basketball coach Craig Neal, which was kind of expected after his point guard son Cullen bolted the Lobos for Ole Miss after last season.

3) Grant Hill is throwing out the first ball at the Diamondbacks’ season opener today. There are three games on the baseball schedule. AmericA’S team (the A’s) open on Monday night.

2) One thing about sitting in a Las Vegas casino and I’ll have a lot more on this tomorrow; this is a very diverse set of bettors here in Las Vegas. You meet all kinds of people, you bond over sports and food and you realize that we’re a lot more alike that some people want to admit.

1— Early line for Monday night’s game: UNC -2, total of 154 (getting bet up as we speak).

Last edited by StarDust Bum; 04-02-2017 at 02:32 AM.

Remember the 3 G's Gambling, Golf, Girls not in any particular order.....

SAN FRANCISCO (89 - 78) at ARIZONA (69 - 93) - 4:10 PM
MADISON BUMGARNER (L) vs. ZACK GREINKE (R)
Top Trends for this game.
SAN FRANCISCO is 23-31 (-16.7 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 over the last 2 seasons.
GREINKE is 117-66 (+36.4 Units) against the money line in home games since 1997. (Team's Record)
GREINKE is 117-66 (+36.4 Units) against the money line in home games in games played on a grass field since 1997. (Team's Record)
SAN FRANCISCO is 600-585 (+53.1 Units) against the money line in road games against right-handed starters since 1997.
ARIZONA is 16-32 (-16.5 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 over the last 2 seasons.
ARIZONA is 33-48 (-21.0 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 2 seasons.
ARIZONA is 8-19 (-14.1 Units) against the money line at home when the total is 8 to 8.5 over the last 2 seasons.
ARIZONA is 33-48 (-21.0 Units) against the money line in home games in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
There were no past matchups in this series during this time period.

MADISON BUMGARNER vs. ARIZONA since 1997
BUMGARNER is 9-7 when starting against ARIZONA with an ERA of 2.56 and a WHIP of 1.099.
His team's record is 15-10 (+0.0 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 15-10. (+3.7 units)

ZACK GREINKE vs. SAN FRANCISCO since 1997
GREINKE is 9-2 when starting against SAN FRANCISCO with an ERA of 2.49 and a WHIP of 1.129.
His team's record is 11-3 (+7.9 units) in these starts. The OVER is 6-7. (-1.0 units)

CHICAGO CUBS (114 - 64) at ST LOUIS (86 - 76) - 8:35 PM
JON LESTER (L) vs. CARLOS MARTINEZ (R)
Top Trends for this game.
CHICAGO CUBS are 1602-1687 (-258.2 Units) against the money line in all games since 1997.
CHICAGO CUBS are 1545-1600 (-233.0 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field since 1997.
CHICAGO CUBS are 1179-1252 (-194.5 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters since 1997.
CHICAGO CUBS are 28-12 (+14.1 Units) against the money line on the road with a money line of -100 to -125 over the last 3 seasons.
CHICAGO CUBS are 31-9 (+19.0 Units) against the money line as a road favorite of -125 to -150 over the last 3 seasons.
LESTER is 20-3 (+15.7 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
ST LOUIS is 38-43 (-24.2 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 2 seasons.
ST LOUIS is 38-43 (-24.2 Units) against the money line in home games in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
ST LOUIS is 25-29 (-17.5 Units) against the money line in home games in night games over the last 2 seasons.
ST LOUIS is 7-14 (-12.8 Units) against the money line in home games against left-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
Head-to-Head Series History
There were no past matchups in this series during this time period.

JON LESTER vs. ST LOUIS since 1997
LESTER is 5-4 when starting against ST LOUIS with an ERA of 1.87 and a WHIP of 0.915.
His team's record is 7-5 (+1.7 units) in these starts. The OVER is 2-9. (-7.4 units)

CARLOS MARTINEZ vs. CHICAGO CUBS since 1997
MARTINEZ is 3-3 when starting against CHICAGO CUBS with an ERA of 5.08 and a WHIP of 1.539.
His team's record is 5-4 (+1.3 units) in these starts. The OVER is 3-5. (-2.1 units)

NY YANKEES (84 - 78) at TAMPA BAY (68 - 94) - 1:10 PM
MASAHIRO TANAKA (R) vs. CHRIS ARCHER (R)
Top Trends for this game.
TANAKA is 23-8 (+14.8 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
TANAKA is 10-1 (+9.3 Units) against the money line in day games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
TAMPA BAY is 68-94 (-30.6 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 7-17 (-11.5 Units) against the money line when the total is 7 or less over the last 2 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 36-45 (-15.9 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 2 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 28-39 (-17.1 Units) against the money line at home when the total is 7 or less over the last 3 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 36-45 (-15.9 Units) against the money line in games played in a dome over the last 2 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 36-45 (-15.9 Units) against the money line in home games in games played on artificial turf over the last 2 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 50-68 (-22.3 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
ARCHER is 10-23 (-15.6 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
ARCHER is 4-12 (-10.6 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
ARCHER is 3-13 (-10.9 Units) against the money line against division opponents over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
ARCHER is 4-12 (-10.6 Units) against the money line in games played in a dome over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
ARCHER is 5-12 (-9.2 Units) against the money line in games played on artificial turf over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
There were no past matchups in this series during this time period.

MASAHIRO TANAKA vs. TAMPA BAY since 1997
TANAKA is 6-0 when starting against TAMPA BAY with an ERA of 2.82 and a WHIP of 0.810.
His team's record is 8-0 (+8.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 5-3. (+2.0 units)
CHRIS ARCHER vs. NY YANKEES since 1997
ARCHER is 5-5 when starting against NY YANKEES with an ERA of 2.63 and a WHIP of 0.921.
His team's record is 7-6 (+0.8 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 7-5. (+1.3 units)

Remember the 3 G's Gambling, Golf, Girls not in any particular order.....

Chicago Cubs at St. Louis - Sunday April 2, 2017
The Cubs open up defense of their title Sunday night in St. Louis and come into the contest with a 14-3 record in Jon Lester’s last 17 starts in Game 1 of a series. Chicago is the pick (-125) according to Dunkel, which has the Cubs favored by 2. Dunkel Pick: Chicago Cubs (-125).

ST. LOUIS (AP) Randal Grichuk hit a two-run homer in the eighth inning and a game-ending RBI single in the ninth, helping the St. Louis Cardinals top the Chicago Cubs 4-3 in a wild prime-time opener on Sunday night.

Jose Martinez sparked the winning rally with a pinch-hit double against Mike Montgomery, who closed out Chicago's World Series championship in November. Yadier Molina then was awarded the first no-pitch intentional walk in major league history, part of baseball's offseason rule changes designed to speed up the game.

With two outs and the bases loaded, Grichuk lined a 1-1 pitch into the gap in left-center for his second career game-ending hit. He was mobbed as he rounded first in the rain, and what was left of a sellout crowd of 47,566 cheered wildly.

The Cardinals appeared set for a tidy 3-0 win before the Cubs rallied in the ninth. Ben Zobrist was hit by a pitch from Seung-hwan Oh and Jason Heyward singled before Willson Contreras hit a drive to left for a tying homer.

DIAMONDBACKS 6, GIANTS 5

PHOENIX (AP) - Madison Bumgarner hit two homers but the Arizona Diamondbacks scored twice with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning off new San Francisco closer Mark Melancon to beat the Giants in a wild season opener.

Derailed by a dreadful bullpen last year, the Giants started this season the same way - even after trying to solve the problem by bringing in Melancon on a $62 million, four-year contract. They wasted a record-breaking performance by Bumgarner, who retired his first 16 batters and became the first major league pitcher to hit two home runs on opening day.

Arizona got a double and three singles after Melancon (0-1) retired his first two hitters in the ninth. A.J. Pollock singled in the tying run and Chris Owings dumped a base hit into right field to end it.

New Diamondbacks closer Fernando Rodney (1-0) gave up a run in a shaky ninth but got the victory.

San Francisco took a 5-4 lead when Joe Panik led off the ninth with a triple and scored on pinch-hitter Conor Gillaspie's sacrifice fly.

Bumgarner struck out 11 with no walks in seven innings. He gave up three runs and became the first Giants pitcher to go deep twice in one game since Jim Gott in 1985.

RAYS 7, YANKEES 3

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) - Chris Archer pitched seven solid innings and Tampa Bay won the first game of the major league season, roughing up New York ace Masahiro Tanaka.

Evan Longoria and Logan Morrison homered and drove in three runs apiece before a sellout crowd of 31,042 at Tropicana Field on opening day. Tanaka (0-1), who had baseball's best ERA in spring training, was tagged for a career-worst seven earned runs in 2 2/3 innings.

A first-time All-Star in 2015 who lost an AL-leading 19 times last season, Archer (1-0) limited New York to two runs and seven hits. He narrowly escaped a bases-loaded jam and turned a five-run lead over to a revamped bullpen.

Alex Colome replaced rookie Austin Pruitt with the bases loaded in the ninth, yielding a sacrifice fly to pinch-hitter Chris Carter before finishing for a save.

Remember the 3 G's Gambling, Golf, Girls not in any particular order.....

LEADING OFF: Beltran, Encarnacion, Eaton open in new spots
April 2, 2017

A look at what's happening all around the majors today:

WELCOME

A bunch of familiar faces will be in new places for opening day. Among them: Carlos Beltran, Brian McCann and Josh Reddick of the Astros, Edwin Encarnacion for Cleveland, Adam Eaton in Washington, Mitch Moreland with the Red Sox and a pair of pitchers who will be starting, Scott Feldman for Cincinnati and Edinson Volquez for Miami.

NO STRESS, STRAS

Nationals star Stephen Strasburg plans to pitch entirely from the stretch when he makes his fourth opening day start, at home against Miami. The right-hander is making the change in an effort to stay healthy throughout the season.

''It's still throwing a baseball. It's not like I'm trying to throw left-handed or sidearm or anything,'' he said. ''You get this feeling when it's right, and you want to be able to repeat it as many times as you can and make good pitches. I feel like it's something that helps me do that.''

SOMBER SCENE

The Twins have planned a pregame tribute at Target Field for Yordano Ventura, the Kansas City pitcher who died in a car crash at age 25 during the winter at home in the Dominican Republic. Before facing the Royals, Minnesota also will honor its own former pitching prospect Yorman Landa, killed in an offseason car accident in Venezuela.

NOW HEAR THIS

Dodger Stadium will sound a lot different when Los Angeles hosts San Diego. It'll be the first Dodgers opener since 1950 without famed broadcaster Vin Scully in the booth. Fans at Chavez Ravine loved to listen from their seats to Scully's calls. Taking over the play-by-play duties is 29-year-old Joe Davis, who will work with former stars Orel Hershiser and Nomar Garciaparra.

HIYA, SKIP!

Rick Renteria is set to manage his first game with the White Sox when they take on Justin Verlander and the visiting Tigers. He managed the Cubs for one season, was let go when they hired Joe Maddon, and later became the bench coach for the White Sox. Whether they'll play this opener in Chicago depends on the weather, with rain in the forecast.
CITI SWEEPS

Mets nemesis Julio Teheran pitches for Atlanta at Citi Field, where he and his teammates got pretty comfortable in 2016. Despite a last-place finish in the NL East a year ago, the Braves have won six consecutive games in Queens - sweeping their final two series there last year. Teheran is 3-0 with a 0.73 ERA in his past five outings against New York, a stretch that included a scoreless streak of 29 2/3 innings and a one-hit shutout at Citi Field, where he's held opposing batters to a .604 OPS. Noah Syndergaard is on the mound for the Mets.

Remember the 3 G's Gambling, Golf, Girls not in any particular order.....

Cubs, Maddon become first to use no-pitch intentional walk
April 3, 2017

ST. LOUIS (AP) Chicago Cubs manager Joe Maddon became the first manager to call for a no-pitch intentional walk, using the rule that was adopted by Major League Baseball in St. Louis' 4-3 win on Sunday night.

Maddon had left hander Mike Montgomery intentionally walk St. Louis catcher Yadier Molina with one out in the bottom of the ninth inning with the game tied at 3-3.

He did so moments after Jose Martinez doubled with one out for the Cardinals, and St. Louis went on to win the game later in the inning with a bases-loaded single by Randal Grichuk.

The rule was adopted last month in an effort to speed up major league games.

Remember the 3 G's Gambling, Golf, Girls not in any particular order.....

13) Diamondbacks 6, Giants 5— SF bullpen blew two saves on Opening Day, ruining a great day by Madison Bumgarner, who struck out 11 and homered twice, the first pitcher ever to do that on Opening Day.

12) Sat next to a guy Friday night who bet Mississippi State on the money line against UConn in the girls’ basketball semifinals. He put $10 on a parlay with MSU and South Carolina and he pocketed $345. He is a good guy and was excited; takes onions to bet against UConn.

11) Some genius at a William Hill sports book risked $7,000 to win $100 making the exact opposite bet, taking UConn on the money line. I’m sure he assumed it was an easy $100, but he was wrong, with a capital W.

If someone ever writes a book on how NOT to gamble, this should be in Chapter 1.

10) Watched the second half of the game without sound in the SouthPoint sports book; ESPN kept showing this guy cheering wildly for Miss State, I’m assuming it is a player’s husband, brother or boyfriend- turns out it was Dak Prescott, the Cowboys’ QB/Miss State alum. He was excited, even moreso than the guy who won $335 on the parlay.

9) If you’re in Las Vegas, the sports book here at South Point is excellent, I’d rank it #2 in town behind the Westgate, but the food options are better here and the hotel is nicer.

8) San Diego Padres are apparently starting the season with three Rule 5 players on their roster; those are minor leaguers plucked from other teams, but they have to stay in the majors all year or get offered back to their original team. Basically, they’re prospects who aren’t ready yet.

ESPN’s Keith Law says the only other team to carry three Rule 5 guys in one year were the 2003 Tigers, who went 43-119, but were in the playoffs three years later.

7) Colorado Rockies start season with seven guys on the DL, which seems excessive even for baseball, where guys drop like flies.

6) TV ratings for the Final Four Saturday were a huge success; much better games than last year. Gonzaga-UNC game figures to get good ratings, too.

5) San Antonio Spurs have had a winning road record 20 years in a row, which is remarkable.

4) If they ever make a movie about Utah Jazz coach Quin Snyder, Andrew McCarthy has to play Snyder- they look so much alike they could be brothers.

3) College hoop referee Ted Valentine worked his 10th Final Four Saturday, but his first since 2010; does that make him Comeback Ref of the Year?

2) Youngest teams in the major leagues? Cincinnati Reds, then the Padres.

1— Madison Bumgarner has 16 career homers, most of any active pitcher; he has hit two HR’s off of two pitchers— Clayton Kershaw and Zack Greinke. Not bad.

Happy Opening Day, everyone!!!!

Remember the 3 G's Gambling, Golf, Girls not in any particular order.....

MIAMI (79 - 82) at WASHINGTON (97 - 70) - 1:05 PM
EDINSON VOLQUEZ (R) vs. STEPHEN STRASBURG (R)
Top Trends for this game.
MIAMI is 57-70 (-20.2 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
VOLQUEZ is 42-30 (+12.2 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
VOLQUEZ is 41-26 (+15.2 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
There were no past matchups in this series during this time period.

EDINSON VOLQUEZ vs. WASHINGTON since 1997
VOLQUEZ is 2-3 when starting against WASHINGTON with an ERA of 4.24 and a WHIP of 1.265.
His team's record is 3-4 (-1.9 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 4-3. (+0.6 units)

STEPHEN STRASBURG vs. MIAMI since 1997
STRASBURG is 12-7 when starting against MIAMI with an ERA of 3.51 and a WHIP of 1.147.
His team's record is 16-9 (+0.2 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 12-12. (-2.3 units)

ATLANTA (68 - 93) at NY METS (87 - 76) - 1:10 PM
JULIO TEHERAN (R) vs. NOAH SYNDERGAARD (R)
Top Trends for this game.
NY METS are 25-10 (+15.9 Units) against the money line when playing on Monday over the last 3 seasons.
ATLANTA is 37-43 (+17.7 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 2 seasons.
ATLANTA is 19-18 (+12.4 Units) against the money line in road games against division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
ATLANTA is 37-44 (+16.7 Units) against the money line in road games in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
ATLANTA is 29-26 (+20.3 Units) against the money line in road games against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
NY METS are 18-21 (-16.3 Units) against the money line in home games against division opponents over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
There were no past matchups in this series during this time period.

JULIO TEHERAN vs. NY METS since 1997
TEHERAN is 7-3 when starting against NY METS with an ERA of 2.02 and a WHIP of 0.989.
His team's record is 8-6 (+1.6 units) in these starts. The OVER is 5-9. (-4.5 units)

NOAH SYNDERGAARD vs. ATLANTA since 1997
SYNDERGAARD is 0-1 when starting against ATLANTA with an ERA of 5.52 and a WHIP of 1.500.
His team's record is 1-2 (-2.8 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 0-3. (-3.4 units)

COLORADO (75 - 87) at MILWAUKEE (73 - 89) - 2:10 PM
JON GRAY (R) vs. JUNIOR GUERRA (R)
Top Trends for this game.
COLORADO is 191-282 (-65.9 Units) against the money line as a road underdog of +100 to +125 since 1997.
COLORADO is 633-994 (-189.0 Units) against the money line in road games since 1997.
COLORADO is 577-914 (-172.0 Units) against the money line in road games in games played on a grass field since 1997.
GRAY is 3-16 (-13.3 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
GRAY is 3-16 (-13.3 Units) against the money line in road games in games played on a grass field over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)
GUERRA is 14-6 (+11.4 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
GUERRA is 14-6 (+11.4 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
COLORADO is 58-50 (+17.1 Units) against the money line in day games over the last 3 seasons.
MILWAUKEE is 13-32 (-18.9 Units) against the money line in April games over the last 3 seasons.
MILWAUKEE is 92-144 (-40.2 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
There were no past matchups in this series during this time period.

JON GRAY vs. MILWAUKEE since 1997
GRAY is 0-0 when starting against MILWAUKEE with an ERA of 3.00 and a WHIP of 1.167.
His team's record is 0-1 (-1.2 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 0-1. (-1.2 units)

SAN DIEGO (68 - 94) at LA DODGERS (96 - 77) - 4:10 PM
JHOULYS CHACIN (R) vs. CLAYTON KERSHAW (L)
Top Trends for this game.
SAN DIEGO is 48-75 (-29.6 Units) against the money line when the total is 7 or less over the last 3 seasons.
SAN DIEGO is 32-64 (-28.5 Units) against the money line in day games over the last 3 seasons.
KERSHAW is 59-22 (+27.3 Units) against the money line in day games since 1997. (Team's Record)
LA DODGERS are 190-150 (-21.0 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 3 seasons.
LA DODGERS are 187-148 (-22.7 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
There were no past matchups in this series during this time period.

JHOULYS CHACIN vs. LA DODGERS since 1997
CHACIN is 9-7 when starting against LA DODGERS with an ERA of 3.92 and a WHIP of 1.526.
His team's record is 12-7 (+4.9 units) in these starts. The OVER is 10-9. (+0.0 units)

CLAYTON KERSHAW vs. SAN DIEGO since 1997
KERSHAW is 14-6 when starting against SAN DIEGO with an ERA of 2.05 and a WHIP of 1.030.
His team's record is 21-8 (+5.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 16-13. (+2.6 units)

PHILADELPHIA (71 - 91) at CINCINNATI (68 - 94) - 4:10 PM
JEREMY HELLICKSON (R) vs. SCOTT FELDMAN (R)
Top Trends for this game.
PHILADELPHIA is 198-189 (+33.4 Units) against the money line as a road underdog of +100 to +125 since 1997.
FELDMAN is 39-54 (-26.7 Units) against the money line in home games since 1997. (Team's Record)
FELDMAN is 12-20 (-15.8 Units) against the money line at home when the total is 9 to 9.5 since 1997. (Team's Record)
FELDMAN is 39-54 (-26.7 Units) against the money line in home games in games played on a grass field since 1997. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
There were no past matchups in this series during this time period.

JEREMY HELLICKSON vs. CINCINNATI since 1997
HELLICKSON is 1-1 when starting against CINCINNATI with an ERA of 1.42 and a WHIP of 0.895.
His team's record is 1-2 (-1.3 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 2-1. (+0.9 units)

DETROIT (86 - 75) at CHI WHITE SOX (78 - 84) - 4:10 PM
JUSTIN VERLANDER (R) vs. JOSE QUINTANA (L)
Top Trends for this game.
DETROIT is 86-75 (+11.1 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
DETROIT is 18-9 (+12.9 Units) against the money line in road games in day games over the last 2 seasons.
CHI WHITE SOX are 64-88 (-30.0 Units) against the money line against division opponents over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
There were no past matchups in this series during this time period.

JUSTIN VERLANDER vs. CHI WHITE SOX since 1997
VERLANDER is 19-13 when starting against CHI WHITE SOX with an ERA of 3.97 and a WHIP of 1.190.
His team's record is 23-16 (+0.3 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 20-17. (+0.5 units)

JOSE QUINTANA vs. DETROIT since 1997
QUINTANA is 5-4 when starting against DETROIT with an ERA of 4.08 and a WHIP of 1.396.
His team's record is 9-8 (+3.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 8-7. (+0.3 units)

SEATTLE (86 - 76) at HOUSTON (84 - 78) - 8:10 PM
FELIX HERNANDEZ (R) vs. DALLAS KEUCHEL (L)
Top Trends for this game.
SEATTLE is 46-61 (-20.4 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 over the last 3 seasons.
SEATTLE is 46-67 (-25.7 Units) against the money line against left-handed starters over the last 3 seasons.
SEATTLE is 128-114 (+30.3 Units) against the money line in road games in April games since 1997.
HOUSTON is 7-17 (-13.5 Units) against the money line in April games over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
There were no past matchups in this series during this time period.

FELIX HERNANDEZ vs. HOUSTON since 1997
HERNANDEZ is 3-5 when starting against HOUSTON with an ERA of 4.31 and a WHIP of 1.565.
His team's record is 4-6 (-5.3 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 3-6. (-3.6 units)

DALLAS KEUCHEL vs. SEATTLE since 1997
KEUCHEL is 5-5 when starting against SEATTLE with an ERA of 3.16 and a WHIP of 1.054.
His team's record is 5-6 (-1.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 6-5. (+1.0 units)

TORONTO (94 - 77) at BALTIMORE (89 - 74) - 3:05 PM
MARCO ESTRADA (R) vs. KEVIN GAUSMAN (R)
Top Trends for this game.
BALTIMORE is 89-74 (+15.2 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
BALTIMORE is 99-63 (+24.5 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 3 seasons.
BALTIMORE is 21-8 (+12.0 Units) against the money line at home when the total is 8 to 8.5 over the last 2 seasons.
BALTIMORE is 80-63 (+14.8 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
BALTIMORE is 66-51 (+14.6 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
There were no past matchups in this series during this time period.

MARCO ESTRADA vs. BALTIMORE since 1997
ESTRADA is 4-1 when starting against BALTIMORE with an ERA of 3.17 and a WHIP of 1.097.
His team's record is 6-2 (+3.8 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 5-3. (+1.7 units)

KEVIN GAUSMAN vs. TORONTO since 1997
GAUSMAN is 2-3 when starting against TORONTO with an ERA of 4.58 and a WHIP of 1.398.
His team's record is 3-4 (-1.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 3-4. (-1.4 units)

KANSAS CITY (81 - 81) at MINNESOTA (59 - 103) - 4:10 PM
DANNY DUFFY (L) vs. ERVIN SANTANA (R)
Top Trends for this game.
KANSAS CITY is 187-153 (+28.3 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 3 seasons.
KANSAS CITY is 46-30 (+18.1 Units) against the money line against division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
KANSAS CITY is 56-37 (+22.5 Units) against the money line in day games over the last 3 seasons.
KANSAS CITY is 181-142 (+32.4 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 3 seasons.
KANSAS CITY is 131-103 (+23.5 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 3 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 59-103 (-30.4 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 22-43 (-17.8 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 over the last 2 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 30-51 (-21.5 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 2 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 24-52 (-20.4 Units) against the money line against division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 258-280 (-58.0 Units) against the money line in home games in day games since 1997.
MINNESOTA is 57-99 (-28.7 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
SANTANA is 8-22 (-14.5 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
SANTANA is 7-21 (-14.7 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
There were no past matchups in this series during this time period.

DANNY DUFFY vs. MINNESOTA since 1997
DUFFY is 5-1 when starting against MINNESOTA with an ERA of 2.81 and a WHIP of 1.336.
His team's record is 9-3 (+4.2 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 7-5. (+1.1 units)

ERVIN SANTANA vs. KANSAS CITY since 1997
SANTANA is 5-9 when starting against KANSAS CITY with an ERA of 4.68 and a WHIP of 1.357.
His team's record is 6-15 (-14.0 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 12-9. (+1.5 units)

CLEVELAND (104 - 72) at TEXAS (95 - 70) - 7:05 PM
COREY KLUBER (R) vs. YU DARVISH (R)
Top Trends for this game.
KLUBER is 35-35 (-14.1 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
KLUBER is 1-9 (-11.3 Units) against the money line in April games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
KLUBER is 1-8 (-8.9 Units) against the money line when playing on Monday over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
TEXAS is 95-70 (+26.1 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
TEXAS is 64-47 (+27.1 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 over the last 3 seasons.
TEXAS is 53-30 (+16.2 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 2 seasons.
TEXAS is 93-64 (+29.6 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
TEXAS is 71-45 (+28.5 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
TEXAS is 73-50 (+23.2 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
CLEVELAND is 55-25 (+24.6 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 over the last 2 seasons.
CLEVELAND is 101-75 (+42.0 Units) against the money line in road games when playing on Monday since 1997.
CLEVELAND is 74-43 (+19.5 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
There were no past matchups in this series during this time period.

COREY KLUBER vs. TEXAS since 1997
KLUBER is 2-1 when starting against TEXAS with an ERA of 3.67 and a WHIP of 1.185.
His team's record is 3-1 (+1.5 units) in these starts. The OVER is 3-1. (+1.9 units)

YU DARVISH vs. CLEVELAND since 1997
DARVISH is 1-2 when starting against CLEVELAND with an ERA of 3.12 and a WHIP of 1.346.
His team's record is 1-3 (-3.0 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 2-1. (+1.0 units)

LA ANGELS (74 - 88) at OAKLAND (69 - 93) - 10:05 PM
RICKY NOLASCO (R) vs. KENDALL GRAVEMAN (R)
Top Trends for this game.
LA ANGELS are 820-820 (+57.1 Units) against the money line in road games since 1997.
LA ANGELS are 690-699 (+44.0 Units) against the money line in road games in games played on a grass field since 1997.
NOLASCO is 77-69 (+27.3 Units) against the money line in road games since 1997. (Team's Record)
NOLASCO is 73-67 (+23.5 Units) against the money line in road games in games played on a grass field since 1997. (Team's Record)
NOLASCO is 59-42 (+31.8 Units) against the money line in road games in night games since 1997. (Team's Record)
OAKLAND is 137-187 (-44.3 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 3 seasons.
OAKLAND is 68-94 (-36.8 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 3 seasons.
OAKLAND is 13-24 (-12.3 Units) against the money line in home games against division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
OAKLAND is 132-179 (-42.3 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 3 seasons.
OAKLAND is 45-62 (-24.6 Units) against the money line in home games against right-handed starters over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
There were no past matchups in this series during this time period.

RICKY NOLASCO vs. OAKLAND since 1997
NOLASCO is 3-2 when starting against OAKLAND with an ERA of 3.38 and a WHIP of 0.958.
His team's record is 4-3 (+0.8 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 3-4. (-1.6 units)

KENDALL GRAVEMAN vs. LA ANGELS since 1997
GRAVEMAN is 1-1 when starting against LA ANGELS with an ERA of 3.37 and a WHIP of 1.240.
His team's record is 3-3 (+1.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 4-2. (+2.0 units)

PITTSBURGH (78 - 83) at BOSTON (93 - 72) - 2:05 PM
GERRIT COLE (R) vs. RICK PORCELLO (R)
Top Trends for this game.
PITTSBURGH is 58-74 (-28.1 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
COLE is 8-13 (-11.0 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
COLE is 8-13 (-11.0 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
PORCELLO is 25-9 (+13.4 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
PORCELLO is 15-1 (+13.5 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
PORCELLO is 15-1 (+13.5 Units) against the money line in home games in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
BOSTON is 654-590 (-83.9 Units) against the money line when the total is 9 to 9.5 since 1997.
BOSTON is 15-18 (-11.3 Units) against the money line at home when the total is 9 to 9.5 over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
There were no past matchups in this series during this time period.

GERRIT COLE vs. BOSTON since 1997
COLE is 1-0 when starting against BOSTON with an ERA of 2.57 and a WHIP of 0.857.
His team's record is 1-0 (+1.0 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 1-0. (+1.0 units)

RICK PORCELLO vs. PITTSBURGH since 1997
PORCELLO is 2-0 when starting against PITTSBURGH with an ERA of 0.39 and a WHIP of 0.609.
His team's record is 2-1 (+0.5 units) in these starts. The OVER is 0-3. (-3.2 units)

1:05 PMMIAMI vs. WASHINGTON
Miami is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Miami's last 7 games
The total has gone UNDER in 12 of Washington's last 18 games when playing Miami
Washington is 8-4 SU in its last 12 games when playing at home against Miami

1:10 PMATLANTA vs. NY METS
Atlanta is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Atlanta's last 5 games
NY Mets are 15-8 SU in its last 23 games at home
NY Mets are 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Atlanta

2:05 PMPITTSBURGH vs. BOSTON
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Pittsburgh's last 5 games on the road
Pittsburgh is 1-7-1 SU in its last 9 games ,
Boston is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games when playing Pittsburgh
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Boston's last 8 games when playing Pittsburgh

2:10 PMCOLORADO vs. MILWAUKEE
The total has gone OVER in 9 of Colorado's last 13 games when playing on the road against Milwaukee
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Colorado's last 10 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 9 of Milwaukee's last 13 games when playing at home against Colorado
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Milwaukee's last 6 games when playing Colorado

3:05 PMTORONTO vs. BALTIMORE
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Toronto's last 5 games when playing on the road against Baltimore
The total has gone UNDER in 10 of Toronto's last 13 games on the road
Baltimore is 7-3 SU in its last 10 games
The total has gone UNDER in 14 of Baltimore's last 16 games

4:10 PMPHILADELPHIA vs. CINCINNATI
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Philadelphia's last 12 games
Philadelphia is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Cincinnati's last 5 games at home
Cincinnati is 2-6 SU in its last 8 games at home

4:10 PMSAN DIEGO vs. LA DODGERS
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of San Diego's last 5 games when playing on the road against LA Dodgers
San Diego is 1-5 SU in their last 6 games when playing on the road against LA Dodgers
LA Dodgers are 2-4 SU in their last 6 games
LA Dodgers are 17-8 SU in their last 25 games when playing San Diego

4:10 PMDETROIT vs. CHI WHITE SOX
Detroit is 4-2 SU in their last 6 games when playing Chi White Sox
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Detroit's last 6 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 10 of Chi White Sox's last 14 games
Chi White Sox are 4-1 SU in their last 5 games when playing at home against Detroit

4:10 PMKANSAS CITY vs. MINNESOTA
The total has gone OVER in 10 of Kansas City's last 14 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Kansas City's last 6 games when playing Minnesota
Minnesota is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Minnesota's last 8 games at home

7:05 PMCLEVELAND vs. TEXAS
Cleveland is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Texas
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Cleveland's last 8 games on the road
Texas is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Cleveland
Texas is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games at home

8:10 PMSEATTLE vs. HOUSTON
Seattle is 4-9 SU in its last 13 games when playing Houston
Seattle is 16-8 SU in its last 24 games
Houston is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games when playing at home against Seattle
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Houston's last 6 games at home

10:05 PMLA ANGELS vs. OAKLAND
The total has gone OVER in 10 of LA Angels's last 13 games when playing Oakland
LA Angels are 7-3 SU in their last 10 games when playing Oakland
Oakland is 3-10 SU in its last 13 games
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Oakland's last 7 games at home

Mike Trout is great no doubt, but is he capable of carrying the Angels offense? We tell you that and 29 other need to know betting stats for the 2017 MLB season.

Anxious for the 2017 MLB regular season to finally arrive? So are we. As you shift your handicapping focus to the diamond, we provide 30 quick betting notes for each team in the big leagues.

American League East

Baltimore Orioles

Baltimore continues to play above average baseball despite having, what many say, is a below average pitching rotation on paper. That is why having a great manager is essential. Buck Showalter pushes the right buttons and certainly having one of the best bullpens in the game does not hurt either. Offensively, the team is stacked again as last season, the Orioles led the majors with 253 homers in 2016 and were third with a .443 slugging percentage.

Boston Red Sox

David Price's elbow issue is a concern. It is unknown if surgery will be required on his elbow, but this could be a lingering issue going forward. This has to be a concern although leaning on Chris Sale is a huge asset to have. The loss of David Ortiz cannot be overstated - his numbers were once again outstanding but his presence in the clubhouse will be equally missed. The weak spot of the team is in the bullpen despite having a big name in Craig Kimbrel as the closer.

New York Yankees

Matt Holliday is on the decline so he may not be the answer to fully fix the offense that is going to rely on a lot of youngsters - Brett Gardner and Jacoby Ellsbury are coming off very poor seasons. If the offense does not show much improvement, it could be a very long season based on a very average starting rotation. Masahiro Tanaka is a stud at the top but C.C. Sabathia, Michael Pineda and Luis Severino are tough to depend on after that.

Tampa Bay Rays

The Rays won just 68 games last season, their fewest since 2007 when they won 66. They made no big improvements so it is hard to envision any sort of major move to try and contend in the division. While they were near the top in home runs, they were near the bottom in runs scored while finished No. 27 in strikeouts. While the bullpen is getting the benefit of the doubt, the Rays ERA of 4.09 from the relievers was fifth worst in the American League.

Toronto Blue Jays

Toronto has made the playoffs each of the last two seasons, after an over two-decade drought, and should contend in the American League East once again. The offense remains potent with Josh Donaldson, Troy Tulowitzki and Jose Bautista leading the charge and the defense is pretty solid as well. The starting rotation is young and talented and the departure of R.A. Dickey is a big positive as his four years in Toronto were a major bust.

National League East

Atlanta Braves

The Braves will have one of the best prospects in Dansby Swanson for 162 games. Bartolo Colon, Jaime Garcia and R.A. Dickey come over to make this rotation tougher especially if Julio Teheran takes the next step. Freddie Freeman hit over .300 last season and has decent protection in Matt Kemp and Brandon Phillips who came over from Cincinnati.

Miami Marlins

Who is the Marlins ace? They have a bunch of 2's and 3's in Wei-Yin Chen, Edinson Volquez, Adam Conley and Jeff Locke. The unfortunate passing of Jose Fernandez means this rotation just doesn't have a lockdown starter. Giancarlo Stanton missed a chunk of the season last year so his lack of durability comes into play again.

New York Mets

Matt Harvey regressed last season and posted a weak 4.86 ERA. Injuries can also derail this rotation with several starters missing time last season. David Wright is already banged up, while Jay Bruce and Michael Conforto aren't exactly entering 2017 with a ton of momentum after struggling in 2016.

Philadelphia Phillies

The additions are not enough to fix an offense that scored only 610 runs last year which was by far the fewest in the entire league. They hit .230 at home which was the worst in the team's history. Vincent Velasquez is coming off an injury and new addition Clay Buchholz had a 4.78 ERA for Boston in 21 starts last season. This team may sell a few more veterans around the trading deadline if they aren't contending.

Washington Nationals

You know you have an extremely deep starting rotation when, the very talented Gio Gonzalez is your fourth starter. Max Scherzer and Stephen Strasburg went 35-11 in 2016 and Joe Ross was a very pleasant surprise. The lineup scored almost 800 runs last year and may get close to that again in 2017 with Adam Eaton setting the table for the likes of Bryce Harper, Daniel Murphy and Anthony Rendon.

American League Central

Chicago White Sox

Chicago looks to be in full rebuilding mode as it traded Chris Sale as well as Adam Eaton for prospects. The future looks bright with some of the young stars it gained but that could be a couple years off. Even if the starting rotation is doing well, the bullpen will not be much of a help as shipping some of those veteran started by the deadline is likely no matter how good or bad it is looking.

Cleveland Indians

The meltdown in the Fall Classic was tough to see and the Indians hope there is no lingering effects from that. As a whole, the league is better but the division is weaker so they are a big favorite to win and their numbers are overinflated because of it. Cleveland got some key acquisitions but it also lost some important role players and right now the rotation is not close to 100 percent.

Detroit Tigers

The Tigers made a recovery last season after winning just 74 games in 2015. They made no big offseason acquisitions but they also did not lose much so there should be no drastic fall. This team is loaded with veterans that know how to win and they will be hungry after missing the playoffs the last two seasons. Detroit also benefits from the three teams below them likely not improving.

Kansas City Royals

Kansas City won 14 fewer games than it did in its 2015 World Series season and based on the win total, people are expected more of a dropoff. There is plenty of motivation for the Royals to get back to the top and while the death of Yordano Ventura was a horrible tragedy, they will use that as a bonding tool. Kansas City added some talent in needed positions.

Minnesota Twins

Minnesota went from 83 wins to 59 wins and it was the only 100-loss team in baseball so things cannot get much worse. The win total seems high but this team is much better than what transpired last season. The Twins are young but those youngsters are talented and if they can get some consistency with the starting rotation, they could be a pleasant surprise but contending in the division will not happen.

National League Central

Chicago Cubs

Kyle Schwarber is healthy and that means more hits and runs for an already powerful Cubs' offensive lineup. He has an on-base percentage of .408 for his career. Wade Davis is a solid closer to replace Aroldis Chapman in the bullpen. Davis had a 1.87 ERA last year for Kansas City. Jon Lester, Kyle Hendricks and Jake Arrieta provide a potent top-3 in the starting rotation. Joe Maddon is an excellent manager that will keep this team humble and motivated.

Cincinnati Reds

The Reds' rotation is going to be awful as Dan Straily was traded, plus both Homer Bailey and Anthony DeSclafani are currently injured. The bullpen was terrible last year as they led the majors in home runs, walks and runs allowed. Cincinnati will likely be a seller once the trade deadline approaches.

Milwaukee Brewers

Ryan Braun is a star and his surgically repaired back allowed him to play 135 games last year. Jonathan Villar led the league in stolen bases with 62. The Brewers became the fourth team in MLB history to hit 180 home runs and steal 180 bases last season. Craig Counsell is a solid manager that will keep his team competing hard all year.

Pittsburgh Pirates

Behind Gerrit Cole in the rotation is Ivan Nova and some youngsters who are very unproven. Steven Brault, Chad Kuhl and Jameson Taillon are highly touted prospects, but they went just 10-11 combined last season. Daniel Hudson was acquired for the bullpen, but he had a poor 5.22 ERA last year. Pittsburgh might become sellers at the trade deadline if they are not in the playoff race.

St. Louis Cardinals

Alex Reyes undergoing Tommy John surgery weakens the rotation as he will not be available this year. Michael Wacha and Adam Wainwright are coming off poor performances last season. The Cardinals are also an aging team at some key positions. Matt Holliday and Brandon Moss combined for 48 home runs last season, but they have both departed.

American League West

Houston Astros

While the Astros' rotation is prime for a resurgence, last season has to be a concern. Dallas Keuchel went from Cy Young to a 4.55 ERA and just nine wins while Colin McHugh has seen his ERA go from 2.73 to 3.89 to 4.34 the last three years. The bullpen ERA of 3.56 was pretty solid but it was a closer-by-committee with Ken Giles coming into the season as the opening day closer. Holding off both Texas and Seattle will be tough.

Los Angeles Angels

While Mike Trout is awesome, he can't carry the Angels' offense, so there needs to be production elsewhere. The Angels win total has gone from 98 to 85 to 77 the last three years and most of that is due to the offense going backwards. Garret Richards elected for rehab instead of Tommy John surgery so he could be vulnerable to injury again. The farm system is pretty bare giving them little trade opportunities.

Oakland Athletics

The A’s have had very poor back-to-back seasons but there is some hope going forward. Starting ace Sonny Gray had a down season but he had a few nagging injuries so he is ready to get back his normal form. The rotation as a whole is pretty solid while the bullpen should be much improved. The offense lacks firepower but the signings of Trevor Plouffe and Matt Joyce definitely help.

Seattle Mariners

The window is closing on Seattle as their main core is getting old. Felix Hernandez finished with a 3.82 ERA which was his highest since 2007 while Nelson Cruz and Robinson Cano are 36 and 34 respectively. Behind Hernandez is Hisashi Iwakuma who is very solid but is 36. After those two, the remainder of the rotation is weak. They overhauled a lot of their roster in the offseason so coming together as a team is a concern.

Texas Rangers

Since August 13th, 2015 the Rangers have gone 127-84 which is one of the best marks in baseball. They have their sights set on a third straight division title buoyed by a potent offense and two great starters in Cole Hamels and Yu Darvish. The offense is balanced and possesses power as Texas finished fourth in the American League in runs scored. Finding arms at the bottom of the rotation could put them on top again.

National League West

Arizona Diamondbacks

The D-backs have a lot of question marks in the rotation with Shelby Miller, Archie Bradley and Taijuan Walker. The closer is Fernando Rodney who is not a long-term answer at 40-years old. The D-Backs ranked 30th in team ERA in 2016 and did not fix their pitching issues in the offseason. Injuries will also be an issue for a team that lacks depth.

Colorado Rockies

The Rockies offense ranked near the top in several categories last year and they have added Ian Desmond who should be big when he returns from injury. Nolan Arenado and Carlos Gonzalez are two of the most underrated young talents in the league. Jon Gray threw 185 strikeouts in just 168 innings last year and should improve with Bud Black as the manager. Greg Holland comes over from Kansas City and will be a boost to this bullpen.

Los Angeles Dodgers

Age is an issue for this Dodgres squad, with just three members of the lineup younger than 29-years old which means injuries could become an issue. Rich Hill is 37-years old, while Brandon McCarthy is 34-years old and he had a weak 4.95 ERA in just 10 appearances last year. The top of the bullpen is strong, but there are several arms vying for the opportunity to be the bridge to Pedro Baez and Jansen.

San Francisco Giants

The Giants' rotation depth is very good when you have Madison Bumgarner and Johnny Cueto on top of Matt Moore and Jeff Samardzija. San Francisco also filled their closer role with Mark Melancon after he pitched for Pittsburgh and Washington in 2016. Melancon had a 1.64 ERA combined for those two teams. The offensive lineup is deep with Buster Posey and Brandon Crawford leading the way.

San Diego Padres

This team is openly in sell mode and will probably get rid of their veterans by the trade deadline. Their perceived rotation is filled with washed up veterans and unproven youth. Christian Friedrich is the "ace" and he went 5-12 with a 4.80 ERA in 2016. There is talk of piggybacking starters and having pitchers go just four or five innings instead of deeper into ballgames this year.

Remember the 3 G's Gambling, Golf, Girls not in any particular order.....